Old Times Weren't Always Good
by PoetPen
Summary: Spongebob left Bikini Bottom and grew up. He comes back after a visit from Sandy and Patrick, but only for a short time. Will he find what he always wanted? Spongebob/Squidward. Yes it is slash, but I am sure you can deal with it.


Chapter 1

A/N: I only own whatever Nickolodean doesn't

Spongebob's Point of View

"Hey Sponge, my man! What's up with you tonight? You seem kinda down," said a friend of mine, Taylor.

"Nothing, just thinking about home," and I was. Today was the day I had left Bikini Bottom and moved to Coral Reef. I wondered if they still thought about me. I doubted Squidward did, little did he know that I wasn't dense enough not to realize that he didn't want me around. I didn't realize for some years later though, what the true reason I always came back was.

"Ah, Bikini Bottom, right?" Taylor asked.

"Yeah, the place I first got a job in the restraunt business. And look at me now!"I laughed. I now had my own restraunt. I had learned from Mr. Krabs not to be a push over but I still wasn't as cheap as he was.

"SpongeBob..."he said seriously,"As hot as you are, I really don't want to look at you. Oh, and don't forget you promised me first song." Then he laughed, hugging me.  
"Try to stay cheery." He whispered into my ear. I had told him enough of my life for him to know I missed them all. I wondered about them everyday. Patrick, Sandy, Mr. Krabs, Pearl, Larry, and.... Squidward. I had grown up, and I doubted if any of them would reconize me for the boy who terrorized the town, with good intentions. I still had good intentions, they were just mixed up with the bad ones.

"I'll try Taylor. I just wish I could see them all. Mainly Squidward. But when I think about the last few months I spent there, I am glad I left. Plus I wouldn't have met a hunk like you." I said laughing.

Taylor smiled a sad smile,"I wish you'd go home and tell him you love him. Whats the worst that could happen?"

"I could get my heart broke... again." I said sadly. He just looked at me.

"See you in a few, Taylor." I said as I walked up to the cash register.

"Excuse me, Finn." I said to the fish I had hired as cash register.

"Welcome everyone to the SpongeShack!" I said into the microphone. My voice was met with cheers.  
"As I am sure you all know tonight is Karaoke Night,"a few cheers,"And I have already promised the first song to my good friend Taylor!" I said before handing it off to him. He smiled and winked at me and I rolled my eyes.

As he began to sing some sad song, I took the time to look around at the crowd. There seemed to be more than usual. I smiled. I guess the SpongeShack was getting more popular.

"Hey Bob!" yelled a girl, I rolled my eyes," Don't roll your eyes at me!" The girls name was Katherine, I had met her a few months ago.

I walked over to her. "What is it Katherine?"

She laughed,"You seem to have some fans. There was a Squirrel and a Starfish asking for you."  
I knew my mouth had dropped open.

"I told them I'd tell you, and they said to come and meet them at their hotel if you want. Room 17, I think they said." she said,"Do you know who they are?"  
"If I am right, which I most likely am, because there can't be that many Squirrels in the sea, they are friends from my childhood." She nodded.

"I can't believe they are here." I said

"Then go see them," she said softly.  
"Tell Jake that he is in charge tonight." I told her as I headed out the door.

~-~

I stood infront of the door. I was nervous. I was about to see Sandy and Patrick for the first time since I left. What would they think of me? I was so different from the hyper sponge they used to knoow. I knocked.  
A Squirrel opened the door. God, Sandy looked different. She was taller for one thing, and she seemed to have filled out.

"Spongebob?" she asked her eyes growing wide, I knew I looked different. I, too, was taller and I no longer wore that outfit that used to be my uniform. I was wearing a pair of slacks and a button up shirt, my usual for Karaoke Night.

"Hey Sandy." I said. "You seemed to have grown up." I laughed nervously but she just gaped.  
"Aren't you going to let me in?" I asked, pointing out I was still standing in the door way. She pulled the door open. I tentively walked in. Patrick was sitting on the bed, his eyes on me.

"Hey Spongebob." He said. I just nodded.  
"What are you guys doing here?" I finally asked.

"We missed you! We would've been here earlier but you are impossible find. We only figured out where you were when one of your friends came to Bikini Bottom, telling us you missed us and how to find you." Sandy said as if she couldn't keep it in anymore.

"Taylor." I grumbled under my breath. I took a deep breath and talked in a hearable range,"What have my friends of the old, besides failing to find me, been doing since I ran away?"  
"I have been working on my science projects, of course. Patrick became the Assistant Manager at Fish Inc. Mr. Krabs gracefully went into retirement a short while after you left. He couldn't find a good enough fry cook." She laughed nervously." And what about you?"  
"Shouldn't you know?" I asked.

"Well, I know you are working at that restraunt." She said.  
I laughed,"Sandy, I own that restraunt."  
"Really? I never thought you really had the mind for business."

"I learned alot from Mr. Krabs, although, I am far from being as cheap as he was." I said tensely.

There was a long, awkward silence.

"And what of Squidward?" I finally asked.  
"Squid? He is teaching children to play the claranet." She said,"I believe he calls his business Claranet For The Children."

I nodded.

"Spongebob. You have changed alot." Sandy said, Patrick nodding his agreement.  
"I have grown up. Did you expect to find the same Sponge here? The one that terrorizes the town, and annoying to all those he loves?" I asked, hotly.

"No... It's just.... I don't know, I guess I may of thought that. You were so silly and wild. I can't think of but maybe two times you were ever serious. And I am beginning to think that fish was wrong. I don't think you really wanted to see us." She finished.

"Sandy. I did want to see you. I do. I am just a bit frustrated at the fact you seem afraid of me, plus the fact you actually thought you'd find the same Sponge here as the one that left Bikini Bottom." I replied, calming down significantly.  
"Spongebob?" Patrick said, speaking for only the second time,"Why is it that you left?"

"Why should I have stayed? Everywhere I went people told me 'Grow Up Spongebob' or just looked at me like 'What the hell are you doing here'. Sandy even told me that once. Squidward never wanted me around. Mr. Krabs was working me too hard, and you, Patrick. You would've never understood."  
"You were hurting? You always seemed so happy. I wondered if you were just... well just dense. I never knew anything got to you. I mean, you even kept going back to Squidward after he kicked you out of his house time and time again." Sandy said.

My fists were balled up tight. We had arrived at Squidward.  
"I was never dense, although it took me sometime to figure out why I kept going back." I said, hoping that she wouldn't ask why.

"Oh..." she said slipping her arm around me. It felt so strange, seeing all my old friends here. I felt the sadness I hadn't felt in awhile.  
"Maybe you could come back with us. Just for alittle while?" Patrick said, sounding hopeful. Even if I wasn't the same Spongebob atleast I was a Spongebob.

"I don't know." I said slowly, even though I knew I'd go. I needed to see all the people I had left behind. Patrick looked at me pleadingly.

"Okay." I finally said. "I'll go."


End file.
